Life

Sarah True: Full Circle

True celebrates her second-place finish at the IRONMAN European Championship in Frankfurt, Germany. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Getty Images)

This Quest for Kona contestant and American pro is moving up the IRONMAN ranks.

by Jordan Cantwell

Reflecting on her triathlon career of almost 15 years, professional triathlete and 2018 Quest for Konacontestant Sarah True recalls watching the NBC coverage of the Hawaii race as a kid. It was her first exposure to triathlon: "I kinda filed away in the back of my mind that I would do a triathlon one day." This year, the American aims to race the IRONMAN World Championship, bringing her goals full circle.

It wasn't until her late teens that True realized not every triathlon was as long as an IRONMAN—there were much shorter distance races. With a background in competitive swimming and running, she participated in a couple of triathlons a year during her time at Middlebury College, finding enough success to decide to take the plunge into being a full-time triathlete after graduation" to see how far she could go in the sport.

Below, we take a look at three traits and experiences that are going to work in True's favor to get her to the Big Island.

1. Olympic pedigree

True has since gone all the way in triathlon. As a member of Team USA, she competed at the Olympic Games in London and Rio, coming achingly close to a medal with her fourth-place finish in London. She raced on the World Triathlon Circuit (WTS) for many seasons, only switching to longer distance, non-draft racing in 2017.

This pedigree put True in good stead for tackling her first IRONMAN in Frankfurt this summer. While the distances are much greater compared to her WTS days, before the race True reported being happy with the way her body was handling the increased training load. "Physically, I’m a strong athlete that doesn’t break down," she explains. "I’ve never had a serious overtraining injury and I think that’s massive to be able to know that I’m a physically robust person!"

Arriving on a start line healthy was definitely a step in the right direction towards True's second-place performance (behind reigning IRONMAN world champion, Daniela Ryf) at the IRONMAN European Championship. She’s also counting on her experience at marquee races, such as the Olympics, to set her up for success. "I really love big races," she says. "Championship races bring the best out of me."

2. Mental fortitude

IRONMAN is well known as a mental battle as well as a physical one. True claims that she has already started collecting stories of race-day bloopers, so any minor issue that might pop up during her race won’t seem so bad. "My understanding is that IRONMAN is a constant emotional high and low," she comments, "it’s a question of whether you can ride it out."

True is acutely familiar with this dynamic after publicly sharing her struggles with depression last year. "The biggest thing that came out of the depression is that I’m so grateful for my ability to be part of the sport and I now see competition and racing through a new light," she says. This sense of gratitude has given True a new purpose to her training and racing, allowing her to push through the 25 to 30 hours of weekly training in order to prepare for the race in Frankfurt.

3. Self-sufficiency

While many professional triathletes train in squads or with training partners who help chip away at the long miles, True flies solo 100 percent of the time in all three disciplines. "It’s all me," she laughs. "I’m given my program and it’s up to me!" True believes that this self-sufficiency will be a huge boon in IRONMAN: "I have learned the importance of autonomy…I can take care of myself. When you’re talking about a 9-hour race, that’s really important."

She doesn’t even run with her husband, professional runner Ben True, since even his easy pace is not appropriate to her program. "My husband has his own races so we train very separately," she notes. "But we can relate to the other person’s experience and I think that’s important."

Closing the loop

True definitely has the athletic pedigree, mental toughness, and self-sufficiency for success in her first-ever IRONMAN race. She traveled to Frankfurt with her father, who also took her to her first ever triathlon race: "There’s something that feels full circle about this IRONMAN thing that I hadn’t anticipated," she jokes, "and that feels very cool!"

Tune in to Quest for Konato learn more about True's journey towards experiencing Kona for herself, not just via the NBC television broadcast.

Jordan Cantwell is a multiple-time IRONMAN finisher, Kona qualifier, and writer living in San Francisco.